Good approach. I use linseed to condition yellow birch, a truly bad actor
in the stain department, or aspen, which suffers from the same interlocked
grain problem. It won't stain as dark, of course, because it doesn't
penetrate as well, so start a tint or two beyond in your test.

"Ba r r y" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 22:12:13 -0500, "Frosty Thunder"
wrote:

I'm trying to stain some cherry wood and just seem to get blochy results.
I'm using a gel stain which is doing much better than the thin stuff.
I'm
putting it on evenly and wiping off the excess. Is it in the wood or the
stain or the application method? Any help would be appricated.

When I stain blotchy woods like cherry and birch I head in one of two
directions.

#1 - most often - I apply a barrier coat of Seal Coat, then wipe on a
Behlen's pigment stain. The stain is dry brushed while it's wet until
it's even. Watch for pigment build-up in corners and at edges. For
more color.

SNIP